A Light in the Darkness
by angelsnape27
Summary: Angel Riddle finds herself back at Hogwarts as an Intern after working at the Ministry of Magic for a number of years. She must work with Professor Snape, even though she is a former Slytherin did not get along with him.


Chapter 1: The Train

Sitting alone in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Angel Riddle stared out the window lost in her thoughts. It was not her first time on the school train but she didn't expect to be going back to the school after she graduated; that was almost eight years ago, she was twenty-five now. So much had happened in the past eight years, job transfers between St. Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic, break ups with boyfriends etc.

Angel had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, she had tan coloured skin. She wore black robes which looked like death eater robes; they were the only kind of robes she owned. She was slightly heavier than average and about 5 feet 4 inches.

She continued to stare out of the window, watching the students rushing back and forth, some nervous, some excited, none of whom she recognized. Then she saw one student that looked familiar: Harry Potter. "The boy who lived…" she muttered and heard the door of her compartment open. She tore her gaze away to see who was entering it.

He was a skinny young man with blond hair and grey eyes wearing a black suit. He smirked at Angel as he entered, catching her eyes. He walked in, trailing behind him were four other students. Three guys and a girl. They looked to be about age fifteen and had an unpleasant air about them. "I'm Mal—", the boy with the blond hair began to say.

"I know who you are Draco, I know your father …" Angel said to him; she had meetings with his father every few months when she worked at the ministry last year. "I'm Angel. I used to attend Hogwarts eight years ago," she said to him and looked around at his friends who had sat down. "And these are your friends I'm guessing," she added.

Draco grimaced slightly when Angel mentioned his father. _Is that fear?_, she thought and smirked. "Yes, this is Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise and Pansy," he explained pointing them out from his left; Pansy sat beside Angel. "What house were you in?" Draco asked Angel.

"I thought you'd be able to guess but maybe you're not as smart as you look …" she said with a laugh. "I was in Slytherin. Snape was my Head of House … is he still around?" Angel asked to them and was taken back to her teenage years.

_ Angel was sitting in the front row in the Potions classroom; her friends unfortunately were sitting at the back of the classroom. Snape rearranged the seating to split up the Gryffindors making them sit beside Slytherins. This didn't go over well with anyone. Angel raised her hand. "Professor Snape?" she asked._

_ "Yes," Professor Snape replied as he walked towards her desk._

_ "Do I have to sit beside this filth?" she asked him with a disgusted look on her face. "It's not fair!" she stated and looked directly in his eyes. His eyes showed nothing; nothing of what he was thinking or feeling._

_ Snape rolled his eyes slightly. "You will do as you are told Miss Riddle," he said to her and went back to his desk._

_ Angel glared at him when his back was turned. She looked down at her copy of Fifth Year Potions, at the ingredients list. "This is going to be fun …" she muttered to herself but just loud enough for the Gryffindork sitting next to her to look up. Angel began to add ingredients to her cauldron in the correct order._

_ Snape was still sitting at his desk half an hour later marking some papers, occasionally looking up to make sure no one was fooling around. He caught Angel's eye a couple of times; she wasn't working, she was just sitting there. "Miss Riddle, if you're not going to do anything you can leave…" he said loud enough for the whole class to hear._

_ "Maybe I will …" she answered with a slight smirk. She had an unknown ingredient in her hand and hid it as she stood up. She turned her back, took three steps and turned around. She chucked the ingredient she took towards her cauldron and it landed with a splash. Less than a second later it exploded; she ran out of the classroom and towards the common room without looking back._

_ "Snape wants to see you …" Tom, one of Angel's friends said to her an hour later. "I don't think he's going to go easy on you … even if you are in Slytherin and one of his favourite …" he said and headed towards his dorm room. "Good luck"._

_ She sighed, forcing herself to leave the common room and go to Snape's office. She knocked on the heavy wooden door. "Enter" she heard him say from within. She pushed open the door and stepped inside._

_ He was standing beside his desk labeling potion bottles. "Quite the performance this afternoon …" he said with anger in his voice. "Something I would expect a Gryffindor to do …" he continued placing the bottle he had in his hand down. He walked towards her, looking in her eyes. He grabbed the collar of her school robes, pushing her against the door of his office. "Now … that I have your full attention. I require you to clean up your mess and a detention tomorrow night. Do I make myself clear," he ordered._

_ "Tomorrow is Saturday! Can it be another night? I have a date …" she began to said but then met his eyes which now showed how he felt; extremely pissed off and wouldn't accept a rain check for a detention._

_ He was still holding onto her. "I. Don't. Care", Snape shot at her._

_ "Fine," she murmured as she tried to break free of his grip but couldn't. "Two can play at this game …" she muttered quietly. She knew she'd get in even more shit but had to risk it. She shoved her knee between his legs as hard as she could; he let go of her immediately. He backed away, she hear a gasp escape from his lips._

_She smirked as she opened the door and headed back towards the common room leaving him alone._

It was Pansy who spoke to her. "Yes, he's still around," she said. Pansy had brown hair and eye like Angel but she was thinner and taller. "Were you one of his favourites?" she asked her and smirked slightly.

"Well … on a good day, I suppose I was one of his favourite students. Let's just say there were not many good days," she explained to them. She looked at them all. "I'm sure he treats you better than he treated me back in the day," she muttered more to herself than to them. She glanced down at her watch on her left wrist. It was almost eleven am, the train would be leaving any moment.

"What about the bad days? Surely he couldn't be that pissed off at a student in his own house," Pansy said to her and then looked around the compartment and the guys.

Angel smirked. "I'll tell you the short version of my relationship with my Head of House. We didn't get along too often. I always tried to be a smart ass in his classes. I had more detentions with him than with any other teacher," she explained to them and laughed a bit. "I remember one night, it was a real emergency, I woke him up at 3 am, and he never forgot that," Angel said and sighed. "And one time I actually hurt him … I kick him between the legs,"

Pansy burst out laughing. "Then what happened?"

"He didn't talk to me for over two months," she said, "I don't think he was expecting it," she added as the train began to move. "It takes what, seven hours to get there? If I remember correctly," Angel said and Pansy nodded. "I could've just apparated but Dumbledore said to take the train," she added and sighed.

Angel looked around at all of them; they each briefly showed a micro expression of disgust. _Now I know where their loyalty lies …_ she thought.

Draco didn't take his eyes off her. "Why listen to Dumbledore? When it comes down to it, I wouldn't do anything he tells me to do," he said with anger in his voice.

"If I don't do what I'm told, I can't do what I'm supposed to do," Angel said quietly.

"Which is what? Be Dumbledore's house-elf?" Draco shot at her.

Angel looked into his eyes. "Never," she said as she glared at him and began rolling up her left sleeve of her robe. Her dark mark was revealed. "I didn't fight in the last war … but this time is going to be different," she said.

The revealing of her dark mark caused Crabbe and Goyle to look stunned. Blaise smirked approvingly. Draco just stared at it and Pansy didn't have any reaction like she was expecting it.

Angel pulled her sleeve down and then leaned back in her seat. "Any questions?" she asked them but the train compartment remained silent. "I didn't think so," she added as she turned her gaze to the country side outside and slowly fell to sleep.

Angel woke with a start from the jerk of the Hogwarts express as the train came to a stop. She looked at her watch and then out of the window. It was dark out; she had slept through the whole train ride. _I must have been more tired than I thought._ The students were already leaving the compartment as she stood up to stretch and yawn.

She gathered the few things she brought with her and headed towards the exit. She walked down the narrow hallway; she saw Potter walking a few feet in front of Draco. _I wonder if the Slytherin/Gryffindor feud has been resolved yet,_ she thought as she followed the long trail of students towards one of the main exits of the train.

Stepping down off the train, she glanced towards the Slytherin students. Draco was shouting something at Potter and Potter charged at him ready to punch him out. Angel smirked and began following the crowd to the carriages. She eventually caught up with the group of Slytheins who were in her compartment.

Pansy smirked at her "Potter's going to get what coming to him this year," she said and laughed. "He doesn't know how to defend himself," she added as they walked. "Do you know what job you're going to be doing?" she asked

"Actually, Dumbledore didn't say," Angel replied. "If I have a choice, which I probably don't, I'd rather do something with Potions or the Dark Arts. I never tried at the other subjects; most of them are pointless," she added and smirked as they arrived at the carriages.

Students piled into the carriages quickly, eager to get to the start of term Hogwarts feast after a long day's journey on the train. The carriage ride was a twenty-minute ride; a thirty minute walk.

The Slytherin students stuck together and jumped into the last carriage in the line; they were joined by another Slytherin girl Angel didn't recognize her. The carriage was full; there was only enough room for six students.

"Maybe I'll see you around," Angel said to the group with a smirk as the carriage began to make its way through the dark forest up to the school.

Angel started to make her way towards the school; she took her wand out of the pocket of her robes for protection. She wasn't scared of the forest; it was like a home to her; it was her place to think.

The sounds of the carriages died away and she was completely alone with the darkness surrounding her. _Nothing has changed in here,_ she thought as she walked. She's reach the school just in time for the feast. She wouldn't be sitting with the students; that was the only thing she was certain of. She'd be sitting at the head table with the rest of the staff.

_Should be fun …,_ she thought sarcastically. _If what Pansy said is true; he's still here … that could be problematic. I haven't spoken to him since seventh year and I've avoided him at the death eater meetings … I suppose I'll just have to see what happens,_ she thought as she walked.

Then, moments later, she heard a rustling noise that wasn't the wind; her cloak wasn't blowing in the wind. She gripped her wand tighter and stopped walking for a moment to focus on the sound. It sounded like a flag flapping in the wind.

Angel continued to walk up the path and she heard the noise again. She stopped, listened again and then she heard a deep voice through the darkness.

"You need to be careful … wandering around the forest alone at night," the voice said, they were only feet away from her.

The voice was unmistakable; a smirk played across her lips even though she thought might regret it later. "Professor Snape," she said greeting him. "I'm always careful."

"So it would seem Miss Riddle," he said to her with a sneer; he lit his wand and held it in front of him revealing himself.

It was just as Angel remembered; shoulder length black hair, piercing black eyes which rarely showed emotion and of course the death eater black robe. Once he took in her features he lowered his wand and pointed it at the ground allowing them to see the path and the outlines of their figures.

"And you are in the forest because?" Angel asked him, not expecting to get a straight answer; he never gave her one.

He didn't answer right away as if it were a difficult question. "Fixing the security charms … and you?" he asked her.

"There wasn't enough room in the carriages so I'm walking up to the school," she told him as she took a step back as if she was in a hurry to leave. "Do you still tea—" she began to say but Snape cut her off.

"We are not going to start like this," he told her, "Dumbledore explained your situation to me … obviously you need a job or you wouldn't be here," he continued but when Angel tried to speak, he held up his hand. "Don't interrupt Miss Riddle. Now … you will be assisting me this year though I do not need an assistant. Dumbledore thinks it is best for you to start with something simple and work your way up if you get that far …," he explained to her. "Can you handle that?"

Angel thought for a moment. _Working with Snape? He must be joking._ "Yes sir," she muttered and looked into his eyes. "Assist with what may I ask?"

"You shall see tomorrow," he replied and began to walk away from her and towards the school.

Angel hurried behind him and caught up to him soon; he never walked that fast. "Professor I—"she began.

"Don't apologize; you are a Slytherin. And a death eater for that matter," he said as if he read her mind. "Why haven't you been at the Dark Lord's meetings? Are you afraid?"

Angel shot a glare at him. "I _always_ go to the meetings. Why the fuck would I be afraid? I have nothing to be afraid of! I tend to keep out of sight …" she said with anger in her voice.

"So you've been avoided me for the past year … is that it Miss Riddle? Do I frighten you?" he asked and stopped walking briefly to face her.

Angel stared into his eyes; there was a flash of an emotion in his eyes; something Angel had never seen before. "I—I," she stuttered but still held his gaze.

Professor Snape stared back at her and a small smirk appeared; always a smirk, rarely a smile. "Speechless are we?" he asked as he waited for her answer.

It wasn't like her to be speechless in front of anyone especially Professor Snape. "You don't frighten me sir," she said to him as they began to walk. "You never have; not even when I first met you," she added; most people were freaked out by him when they first met him but she could relate to him. She had a feeling he was an outsider just like herself.

"And that was fifteen year ago …" he said talking more to himself as he began to walk again. He was clearly lost in something that happened to him back then that Angel didn't know about.

They reached the front gates twenty minutes later, the gates were 300 feet away from the main entrance of the school; the carriages were being stored for the winter until they were needed again. There weren't any students outside of the school; they had already been ushered into the Great Hall to await the sorting ceremony.

Snape was a few feet ahead of Angel; they stepped into the Great Hall. The house tables were filled with students. There were places left near the front of the hall for the first year students. The fireplaces were lit and the house banners hung over each of the four tables with the Hogwarts crest positioned behind the staff table. The hourglasses which counted the house points stood in the right hand corner near the staff table; no points had been added yet.

Angel followed Snape to the far right of the Great Hall between the last house table and the wall. The last table happened to be the Slytherin table. Angel walked slowly to let the mood of the room sink in. It had been a long eight years but she felt like she never left.

She allowed her gaze to shift towards the staff table, starting from the left. She saw her old Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Dumbledore and a few others. But one lady she didn't recognize. The lady was wearing a bright pink dress with a bow attached to the front.

Angel laughed. It wasn't quiet in the Great Hall; no one turned to look at her except Snape. He stopped walking and turned and looked at her. He raised one eyebrow.

"Nothing," she muttered as she caught up to him. "Who's that?" Angel asked him nodding towards the lady in pink.

Snape looked in the direction she referred to. "She works for the Ministry," Snape said to her with a sneer and walked up the stone steps to the staff table. Snape took his seat beside Professor Dumbledore who nodded at both of them with a smile.

Angel nodded back but did not smile; she tried not to show much emotion. She sat down beside the Ministry worker and sighed. _I wonder who she is …_

Dumbledore rose from his seat, the sounds of conversations lingered for a moment before the Great Hall was left in silence. "Welcome all, to the start of term feast!" Dumbledore announced with a smile. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly; we have a long list of new students to welcome to our school,"

Angel looked around at the Slytherin students; some of them were not paying attention. She glanced at the Gryffindor table, she saw Harry Potter and his friends muttering to each other; but the girl sitting with them was giving her full attention to Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall had gotten out of her seat and stood in front of the school where the Sorting Hat was placed. The first years were making their way from the back of the hall of the front; they looked nervous. "When you name is called, you will sit here," Professor McGonagall said pointing to a old stool, "The Sorting Hat will be placed on your head and you will be sorted into one of the four houses of Hogwarts," she explained to them and then began.

McGonagall read threw the long list of names from A to Z. It didn't take her long; the sorting hat didn't spend much time talking about where each student should be placed. Half an hour later the sorting hat was taken away from the front of the Great Hall and set behind the staff table. After the start of term feast, it would be taken back to Professor Dumbledore's offices until the following year.

Dumbledore stood up once Professor McGonagall was seated. "The feast will begin momentarily, first I have a few start of term announcements," Dumbledore began as he look over the house tables and smiled. "For our new students, and a reminded for our _older_ students, the dark forest is off limits unless accompanied by a staff member," Dumbledore said as he eyes caught the other eyes of a few students who had a habit of wandering around the forest.

Angel smirked slightly. She had always went into the forest no matter what any of the staff said. She glanced at Professor Snape, he was looking at Dumbledore listening intently. _He's probably heard this speech hundreds of times …_ she thought as Dumbledore continued.

"There are a couple changes in our staff this year," Dumbledore told the students and smiled. "Professor Grubly Plank is substituting for Professor Hagrid for the Care of Magical Creatures class. As well, the Defence Against the Dark Arts position this year is taken by Professor Dolores Umbridge," Dumbledore told the hall. He pointed his hand in the witch's direction. It was the lady dressed it pink.

Angel watched as Snape straightened his back and stare at the Slytherin table. "You got of be fucking kidding me! She got the job and not you?" Angel whispered to Snape angrily not caring if Professor Umbridge heard her but she didn't hear. Umbridge was getting out of her seat, fixing her dress and walked towards the center of the front of the hall.

Professor Snape looked at her. "I didn't think you had that strong of an opinion about it Miss Riddle," Snape said to her as Umbridge looked out at the hall full of students.

"After … fifteen years I would have thought you would have got what you wanted," Angel said and sighed but then it hit her. "It's still cursed!" she exclaimed.

Snape's lip curled. "So it would seem," he said as Professor Umbridge began to speak.

"Thank-you Professor Dumbledore!" Umbridge said with a large smile. "It is good to see all the future witches and wizards of the wizarding world," she said addressing the hall of students. "Education has always been a great importance, over the next year, certain magical practices must be altered. In doing so, this will greatly improve the school. As well eliminate elements that hurt the school," Professor Umbridge said to the students and then smiled at Dumbledore before turning to take her seat.

"Thank-you Professor Umbridge, what an excellent speech," Dumbledore said to her and began to clap. There were a few muffled claps throughout the hall.

Angel went over the speech in her mind but was having trouble understanding what she meant but thought it best not ask Snape at that moment as Umbridge sat back down beside her.

"Now, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore shouted and at once the tables over-flowed with delicious food for the feast.

The Great Hall erupted in chatter and clanking of forks and knifes. Angel looked down at the plate in front of her; at least a bit of every food available for the evening's feast was on her plate. She began to eat; it had been eight years since she had eaten at Hogwarts. Little was said at the staff table during the feast, it had seemed that everyone had run out of things to talk about. Only Dumbledore, McGonagall and a few other staff members were speaking to each other.

"So, how have the last eight years been?" Angel asked Snape breaking the silence after she had finished half of her dinner.

Professor Snape took a sip of red wine. "Unpleasant …," Snape replied but did not elaborate on the subject.

Angel sighed. She wished for once he would give her a straight answer. "Unpleasant because …?"

"Not here," Snape muttered and finished his glass of wine. He picked up the wine jug, poured some into his empty glass and poured some into Angel's glass filling it half way.

"Thank-you," she said to him, picking up her glass and taking a sip. She didn't normally drink. "You're not trying to get me drunk are you sir?" she asked and raised her left eyebrow.

"It will take more than half a glass of wine …" Snape said.

As the Hall was finishing up dinner, Professor Dumbledore stood up from his chair. "Time for bed," he said, "Goodnight!" The students began exiting the Great Hall.


End file.
